Door edge protector



Sept. 13, 1966 R. N. OLTON DOOR EDGE PROTECTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 5, 1964 INVENTOR. RUEERT N 0.470 BY&$W 4, 59-35 [0 19 3 Sept. 13, 1966 R. N. OLTON DOOR EDGE PROTECTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 5, 1964 W mwm w m y W 8 /2m 0 a g 0% II 9 F1" United States Patent 3,271,919 DGGR EDGE PROTECTOR Robert N. Olton, 2943 E. Overlook Road, Cleveland, Ohio Filed Aug. 5, 1964, Ser. No. 387,629 9 Claims. (Cl. 52-624) This invention relates to door construction and particularly to decorative and protective edge protectors of durable material for preventing damage to the edges of architectural doors and, especially, the vertical side edges of such doors.

My invention is particularly adapted for use in connection with hollowor solid-core wood doors and paneled wood doors. It is also useful in connection with metal doors.

Wood doors, whether flush or paneled, generally have a pair of longitudinally extending stiles along their opposite vertical sides. These stiles, or elements corresponding to and functioning as stiles, form the hinge side or edge of the door and the striker side or edge of the door. The stiles are generally interconnected by transversely extending rails at least at the upper and lower ends of the door. The door may otherwise consist of a hollow or solid core lying between parallel spaced apart door panels fixed to the opposite sides of the stiles and rails or it may consist of panels installed in and filling the paces between the rails and stiles. In steel doors, the vertical hinge and striker sides are usually each provided with a structural shape or element corresponding to a door stile and providing the hinge or striker side of the door.

Doors in public and/ or institutional buildings are subjected to high rates of wear and tear. In particular, the hinge and striker edges of an open door are exposed to damaging bumps and blows when, for example, furniture or other large objects are moved through doorways and by the doors in them. Wood doors especially are easily split, cracked, chipped and dented. Even metal doors suger damage such as denting or they may have the finish scratched from them. Such damage to door edges detracts from the appearance of the door and, in fact, may structurally impair the door.

Door edges can be protected by providing covering strips of a material more durable than wood and, thus, able to prevent dam-age to the door edge which might otherwise occur as a result of normal wear and tear. In addition, the edge protector serves as an attractive, decorative trim. Door edge protectors embodying my invention can be adapted to cooperate with flush doors, for example, that are covered on their front and rear sides with plastic laminate to provide a highly serviceable door having all flush surfaces and that is easily cleaned and cared for.

Accordingly, it is an object of my invention to provide an edge protector for doors and particularly for the hinge and striker edges of wood doors which can be easily and conveniently fitted and attached to the door edges to be protected. Another object is to provide such door edge protectors which include novel means for securely attaching them to a suitably prepared door. Another object is to provide such fastening means which is hidden by the door edge protector and does not interrupt, project or otherwise interfere with the clean, unspoiled lines and surfaces of a door. Another object of this invention is to provide such a door edge protector which may entirely cover the otherwise exposed portions of the striker and binge edges of a door and extend around onto and flush with the front and back surfaces of the door. Another object is to provide such a door edge protector which can easily accommodate the installation of lock plates and/ or hinges after the installation of the edge protectors. Yet another object is to provide such a door edge protector in 3,271,919 Patented Sept. 13, 1966 "ice a form which covers the entire hinge edge of the door, including the hinges which are mounted on the door prior to installation of the door edge protector. A general object of this invention is to provide a convenient and practical means for substantially increasing the durability and life of otherwise ordinary wood doors even when they are subjected to high rates of use and abuse.

Briefly, my invention consists of a longitudinally extending, channel-shaped edge protector having spaced apart legs joined together by a web and adapted to closely correspond to and fit over and around the edge and adjacent front and rear side marginal portions of the door to be protected. The web lies against the door edge and the legs overlie the marginal portions of the front and rear sides of the door adjacent the protected edge. A longitudinally extending groove is provided in the marginal portions of the front and rear sides of the door adjacent to, but laterally spaced from, the edge to be protected. The free edges of the door edge protector legs are provided with inwardly directed, longitudinally extending flanges adapted to enter the groove in the sides of the door. A fitting and fastening strip or key is provided in each groove and engages one side of the groove and the leg flange directed therein, pressing and holding the leg flange against the opposite side of the groove. The fastening strip or key lies inside the leg flange and the leg itself so that it is hidden from view by the leg. The edge of the leg from which the flange extends is urged into and held in tight engagement and preferably flush with the front or rear side of the door, as the case may be.

These and other advantages and features of my invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred and modified form thereof taken together with the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective elevation view of an architectural door having an edge protector mounted on opposite edges thereof;

FIGURE 2 is a cross section elevation view taken in a generally horizontal plane including line 2-2 shown in FIGURE 1 and in enlarged scale;

FIGURES 3, 4, 5 and 6 are cross-sectional views, similar to FIGURE 2 but showing modified forms of door edge protectors, each as mounted on a door edge;

FIGURE 7 is a perspective elevation view of a portion of a door edge protector strip adapted to reveal the lock plate in the striker edge of a door;

FIGURE 8 is a perspective elevation view of a portion of a door edge protector strip adapted to reveal the hinge in the hinge edge of a door; and

FIGURE 9 is a perspective elevation view of a portion of another modified form of door edge protector strip.

As seen in FIGURES 1 and 2, the vertical portions of the edge 10 of door D lying between the laterally spaced opposite front and rear sides 11 and 12, respectively, of the door are covered by a channel-shaped strip or molding formed of a durable material and indicated generally at 14. Strip 14 consists of front and rear leg portions 15 and 16 and a web portion 17 interconnectiing corresponding and adjacent edges of legs 15 and 16. Web 17 is so dimensioned with respect to the thickness of the door or the lateral extent of its edge 1!) that legs 15 and 16 lie flat against and closely engage the marginal portions 18 and 19 of the front and rear sides 11 and 12, respectively. Strip 14 further fits the edge 10 of the door so that web 17 overlies and engages edge 10.

As described above in connection with FIGURES 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings and as will appear from the other figures in the drawings and the description of them as it appears below, strip 14 comprising the door edge protector is made to substantially conform to the marginal and edge portions of a generally conventional door. Conventional doors have parallel front and rear sides and an edge bounding the sides and extending between their marginal portions. As is well known, the generally vertical hinge and strike edges usually are angled with respect to front and rear sides 'or tapered with respect to a plane perpendicular to the front and rear sides. Generally speaking, the striker and hinge edges make angles with the front side of the door that are greater than 90 and with the rear side of the door that are less than 90". Whether the door is provided with conventional vertical edge tapers or not, the door edge protector strip is preferably :made to conform closely to the door. The thickness of the door is preferably reduced along the marginal portions adjacent the edge to be fitted with a door edge protector so that, when installed, the legs of the door edge protector lie flush with the surface of the front and rear sides and do not protrude or project beyond them.

The free edges of legs 15 and 16, i.e. those edges remote from web 17, are provided with inwardly and oppositely extending flanges 20 and 21, respectively. Flanges 20 and 21 are adapted to fit in grooves in marginal portions 18 and 19 of the door as will be described more fully below.

Marginal portions 18 and 19 of front and rear sides 11 and 12 of the door are provided with grooves 22 and 23 extending longitudinally from the top to the bottom of the door and laterally spaced from its generally vertical edge 10. The grooves are cut in marginal portions 18 and 19. In the case of a wood door, they may be provided, for example, by a pass or passes of a kerfing saw in and along the stile of the door. In the form of my invention shown in FIGURE 2, the groove is approximately square with respect to the side surfaces. In a door 1% inches thick, for example, the grooves 22 and 23 could appropriately be 3/ inch wide and /2 inch deep. Also, as shown in FIGURE 2, the surfaces of outer marginal portions 18 and 19 of the door, i.e. that part of front and rear sides 11 and 12 lying between edge and grooves 22 and 23, are spacedapart a distance such that, when the gauge of the door edge protector is added thereto, front and rear legs 15 and 16 of the pro- ;ector are flush with the main portions of the door suraces.

Grooves 22 and 23 are so located in marginal portions 18 and 19 of the door that legs 15 and 16 of door edge protector strip 14 overlie and extend to the side of the grooves remote from their associated door edge 10 as seen in FIGURE 2. The door edge protector is held in place by a fastening means cooperating with flanges 20 and 21 and grooves 22 and 23. The fastening means comprises a fitting and fastening strip 24 of material having strength and/or resiliency in compression which fills the space in grooves 22 and 23 between the inside surfaces of flanges 20 and 21 and the side of grooves 22 and 23 further therefrom. Fitting and fastening strip or key 24 fits snugly within the grooves so as to tend to urge flanges 20 and 21 into engagement with these sides of the grooves remote from the door edge. Strips or keys 24 also urge web 17 into tight engagement with edge 10 and legs 15 and 16 are held closely against marginal portions 18 and 19 of front and rear sides 11 and 12, respectively.

Strips 24 may be made of Wood or other relatively non resilient material, for example. Such strips or keys are preferably made slightly narrower than the Width of their cooperating groove by an amount approximately equal to the thickness of the flange of the door edge protector to be held in the groove. Strip 24 is preferably glued or otherwise fastened in place by a cement or glue. The door edge protector may be fitted and fastened to the door by simultaneously sliding door edge protector strip 14 and fitting and fastening strips 24 to which glue or cement has been applied into grooves 22 and 23 and over edge 10 beginning at the top or bottom of the door and continuing to the opposite end. It may be possible, in certain instances, to first cement or otherwise fasten the strips or keys 24 into the grooves 22 and 23 and then longitudinally slide or even laterally spring or snap a resilient door edge protector into a suitable crack between the groove wall remote from the protected door edge and the fitting and fastening strip 24. In either event, strip 24 fits and fastens the door edge protector in place. It also aids materially in the economical production of doors adapted to receive door edge protectors by providing a simple, yet highly effective, means for forming suitably narrow slots in the door sides for receiving flanges 20 and 21. When 20 gauge metal is used for forming door edge protector strip 11, for example, a space or slot is needed that is the same thickness or slightly less, depending upon the nature and properties of key 24 and/ or strip 11. Such a narrow groove cannot easily or economically be made in a wood door.

FIGURES 3 through 8 show various modifications and/or features of my invention. In the modifications, the same reference numerals as used in FIGURES 1 and 2 are used to identify like elements.

FIGURE 3 shows a modification of my invention having fastening grooves 28 and 29 formed with non-parallel side walls 30 and 31. In this case, side walls 39 remote from associated door edge 10 lie in planes generally normal to the front and rear sides 11 and 12. Each side wall 31 lies in a plane extending at an angle inwardly of side 11 or side 12 and away from its opposite and associated side wall 30. Approximately shaped fitting and fastening strips 32 are provided and correspond in transverse cross section to the shape of grooves 28 and 29. It is apparent that angled side walls 31 of grooves 28 and 29 have certain advantages in returning strips 32 within grooves 28 and 29 and, thus, helping to fit and fasten edge protector strip 14 on and to a door. It may, however, be more difficult to form.

In FIGURE 4, I have shown another modification having grooves 34 and 35 with side walls 36 and 37 remote from and near to associated edge 10, respectively. Side walls 36 are angled with respect to front and rear sides 11 and 12 and extend inwardly and away from associated edge 10 of the door and side walls 37 are generally normal to sides 11 and 12 of the door. Flanges 20 and 21 are fitted and urged against angled side walls 36 by fitting fastening strips 38 appropriately shaped for grooves 34 and 35.

FIGURE 5 shows a further modification in which grooves 39 and 40 are provided with non-parallel, inwardly diverging side walls 41 and 42 remote from and near to associated edge 10 of the door, respectively. Flanges 20 and 21 of strip 14 are urged against angled side walls 41 by a generally dovetail-shaped fitting and fastening strip 43.

In the case of various ones of the prefered and modified forms of my invention described above, the fitting and fastening strips may take a form whose transverse crosssectional shape does not correspond to the groove in which it is to be used. The fitting and fastening strips may be made, for example, of long extruded rubber strips of circular or oval cross section. In connection with the strips or keys to be used in any of the forms, it is important that they serve to fit the flanges on the front and rear legs of strip 14 closely against the side of the receiving groove remote from the associated edge of the door and thereby web 17 close against edge 10 and act to fasten and hold the flanges in place and, thus, the door edge protector strip 14 against and around the edge of the door. Generally, if the fitting and fastening strips or keys are made of a substantially non-compressible material or a hard material, it is preferable to glue them in place to the side walls of the groove which they directly engage.

In FIGURE 6 is shown a further modified form of my door edge protector comprising a strip 50 having a web 51 joined to one edge of a single leg 52 that is intended to lie on and along the front side 11 of the door. Single leg 52 is provided with a flange 53 for engagement with and fastening in single groove 54 by cooperating fitting and fastening strip 55. Groove 54 may take other shapes than the one shown as suggested by the modifications shown and described above. The mortise for a hinge is indicated generally at M. This form of door edge protector is intended primarily for use on the hinge edge of a door when it is desired to cover the hinge mortised into the edge of the door. While strip 50 of the one-legged form is not held onto the door edge by two flanges as the forms shown in the previous figures of the drawings, this form of door edge protector is entirely practical and useful and particularly enhances the hinge side of the door which is exposed when the door is open. Door edge protectors of the one-legged form shown in FIGURE 6 are preferably made of metal, such as stainless steel, in a thickness of gauge giving some resiliency to the strip. Further, the strips are formed so that the leg and web lie in planes intersecting at an angle slightly less than the angle between the door edge and side which they are intended to overlie. As a result, when the one legged strip is mounted and fitted and fastened by an appropriate key placed in a cooperating groove and in engagement with the flange of the single leg of the strip, the strip is sprung slightly and tends to be resiliently urged against the surfaces of the door which it overlies.

While I have mentioned stainless steel as being suitable material for the form of my invention shown in FIG- URE 6, it is eminently suitable for the other forms of my invention, though the invention is not, in all its forms, limited in any way to one particular material. The door edge protector strip should preferably be made of a durable material that will withstand blows and abuse such as are encountered by and cause damage to exposed door edges. Such a material is, for example, 19 or 20 gauge stainless steel. Suitable plastic materials can be used as well.

Another feature of my invention is shown in FIGURE 7 in which the door edge protector strip 14 is fitted to the striker edge of a door and provided with a cutout indicated generally at 56 to expose the lock plate. In FIG- URE 8 is shown the manner of cutout indicated generally at 57, provided to expose and accommodate a hinge on the hinge edge of the door. It will be noted, in the case of a strip with a lock plate cutout and a strip with a hinge cutout, that the gripping flanges on the legs of the door edge protector strip are not interrupted and the cutouts do not tend to interfere with or weaken the mounting and fastening of the door edge protector on the door.

In FIGURE 9 is shown a length of door edge protector strip 140 standing alone and not in place on the edge of the door. The strip is similar to those shown and de scribed above in that it has legs and 16 and a Web portion 17a interconnecting them. Each leg is provided with a flange 20 and 21 as described above. The difference between the strip shown in FIGURE 9 and the door edge protector strip described above is that, in the former, web 17a is formed with a curve in its lateral direc tion rather than flat. This curve throws legs 15 and 16 into generally converging planes as shown. Strips 14a is necessarily formed of a resilient material so that, when it is slid onto the edge of the door, legs 15 and 16 can be sprung apart and assume a generally parallel relationship and lie flat against the marginal portions of the front and rear sides of the door. When strip 14a is installed and legs 15 and 16 are sprung apart, web 17a will assume a generally flat position, both laterally and longitudinally, and have substantial surface engagement with the door edge to be protected. When strips 14 and 14a, formed with laterally flat and curved webs 17 and 17a, respectively, are in a protecting position on a door, no difference in the strip is apparent. The modified form of strip 14a thus employs the resilient nature of the material to aid the fitting and fastening strips in holding the door edge protector strip onto the edge of the door,

It will be noted that, in connection with wood core doors whose front and/ or rear sides 11 and 12 are covered by a veneer of plastic laminate L or other material as shown in FIGURE 5, for example, the door edge protector strip, in any of its forms shown, may be and is preferably formed so that its legs lie flush with the surface of the veneer when installed on a door edge. While it is believed that this not only enhances the appearance of the door, it also produces an uninterrupted surface on the front and rear faces of the door that it easily cleaned and kept clean. In addition, it minimizes any tendency of the door edge protector strip to be inadvertently pulled or otherwise removed from the door through use of the door. If the legs of the door edge protector strip extend outwardly or above the surface of the front and rear sides of the door, an edge or corner at the intersection of the legs and their associated flanges protrudes and projects outwardly and can engage or be caught by objects passing nearby.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various other changes and modifications can be made in the preferred form of apparatus described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. The combination of a door and door edge protector including means for fitting and fastening said protector on and to an edge of said door,

said door comprising front and rear sides and an edge bounding said sides and extending between the marginal portions thereof, said front and rear sides having grooves therein extending longitudinally along said marginal portions associated with said edge to be protected and spaced laterally from said associated edge, said grooves each having laterally spaced apart, longitudinally extending side Walls farther from and nearer to said associated edge, and an open side facing outwardly of a side of said door, and

said door edge protector comprising a longitudinally extending channel-shaped strip of durable material having laterally spaced apart legs joined together along their laterally opposite edges by a longitudinally extending web, said legs lying against and engaging said associated marginal portions and substantially covering said open sides of said grooves therein, and said web lying against and engaging said associated edge, flanges on said legs extending into said grooves along .and adjacent said groove side walls farther from said associated edge, means for fitting and fastening said channel-shaped strip on said door edge comprising longitudinally extending fitting and fastening strips lying in said grooves inside of and hidden by said legs of said channel-shaped strip substantially covering said grooves, said fitting and fastening strips engaging and acting between said groove side walls nearer to said associated edge and said flanges and urging said flanges toward said groove side walls farther from said associated edge and tending to retain said flanges between and in engagement with said locking strips and said groove side Walls farther from said associated edge.

2. The combination according to claim 1 in which the side Walls of said grooves are parallel to each other.

3. The combination according to claim 2 in which the side walls of said grooves lie in planes normal to said front and rear sides of said door.

4. 'The combination according to claim 1 in which one side wall of each of said grooves is normal to said front and rear sides of said door and the other side wall of each of said grooves lies in a plane inclined at an angle other than to said front and rear sides of said door.

5. The combination according to claim 4 in which said side wall nearer to said associated edge of each of said grooves extends inwardly from one of said sides of said door and at an angle toward said associated edge.

6. The combination according to claim 4 in which said side wall farther from said associated edge of each of said grooves extends inwardly from one of said sides of said door and at an angle away from said associated edge. 7. The combination according to claim 1 in which the two side walls of each of said grooves lie in planes which extend inwardly from the front and rear sides of said door and at angles other than 90 thereto while diverging from each other so that said grooves comp-rise generally longitudinally extending dovetail mortises and said fitting and fastening strips correspond generally to longitudinally extending dovetail ten-ons.

8. The combination according to claim 1 in which said web is laterally curved to provide an outwardly facing laterally convex surface, said legs extending from said web in converging planes, and said stri-p being resiliently yieldable so that when said legs are positioned substantially parallel to each other said Web is substantially laterally flat.

9. The combination of a door and a door edge protector including means for fitting and fastening said protector on and to an edge of said door,

said door comprising front and rear sides and an edge bounding said sides and extending between the margin-a1 portions thereof, one of said sides having a groove therein extending longitudinally along said marginal portion associated with said edge to be protected and spaced laterally from said associated edge, said groove having laterally spaced apart, longitudi nally extending side walls farther from and nearer to said associated edge and an open side facing out- Wardly of a side of said door, and

said door edge protector comprising a longitudinally extending L-shaped strip of durable material having a leg joined along one of its edges to a longitudinally extending web, said leg lying against and engaging 8 said associated marginal portion and substantially covering said open side of said groove therein, and said web lying against and engaging said associated edge, a flange on said leg extending int-o said groove along and adjacent said groove side Wall farther from said associated edge, means for fitting and fastening said L-shaped strip on said door edge comprising a longitudinally extending fitting and fastening strip lying in said groove inside of and hidden by said leg of said L-shaped strip substantially covering said groove, said fitting and fastening strip engaging and acting between said groove side wall nearer to said associated edge and said flange, and urging said flange toward said groove side Wall farther from said associated edge and tending to retain said flange between and in engagement With said locking strip and said groove side wall farther from said associated edge.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 306,806 10/ 1894 Barnes 20-35 X 1,977,034 10/1934 Beige! 52614 2,827,670 3/1958 Schwindt 526'27 X 2,833,004 5/1958 Johnson et al 527l7 X 3,001,246 9/ 1961 Mat-her 52-627 3,090,086 5/1963 Feta 2092 FOREIGN PATENTS 233,231 9/ 1963 Austria. 776,350 6/1957 Great Britain.

HARRISON R. MOSEL'EY, Primary Examiner.

P. C. KANNAN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. THE COMBINATION OF A DOOR AND DOOR EDGE PROTECTOR INCLUDING MEANS FOR FITTING AND FASTENING SAID PROTECTOR ON AND TO AN EDGE OF SAID DOOR, SAID DOOR COMPRISING FRONT AND REAR SIDES AND AN EDGE BOUNDING SAID SIDES AND EXTENDING BETWEEN THE MARGINAL PORTIONS THEREOF, SAID FRONT AND REAR SIDES HAVING GROOVES THEREIN EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY ALONG SAID MARGINAL PORTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID EDGE TO BE PROTECTED AND SPACED LATERALLY FROM SAID ASSOCIATED EDGE, SAID GROOVES EACH HAVING LATERALLY SPACED APART, LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING SIDE WALLS FARTHER FROM AND NEARER TO SAID ASSOCIATED EDGE, AND AN OPEN SIDE FACING OUTWARDLY OF A SIDE OF SAID DOOR, AND SAID DOOR EDGE PROTECTOR COMPRISING A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING CHANNEL-SHAPED STRIP OF DURABLE MATERIAL HAVING LATERALLY SPACED APART LEGS JOINED TOGETHER ALONG THEIR LATERALLY OPPOSITE EDGES BY A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING WEB, SAID LEGS LYING AGAINST AND ENGAGING SAID ASSOCIATED MARGINAL PORTIONS AND SUBSTANTIALLY COVERING SAID OPEN SIDES OF SAID GROOVES THEREIN, AND SAID WEB LYING AGAINST THE ENGAGING SAID ASSOCIATED EDGE, FLANGES ON SAID LEGS EXTENDING INTO SAID GROOVES ALONG AND ADJACENT SAID GROOVE SIDE WALLS FARTHER FROM SAID ASSOCIATED EDGE, MEANS FOR FITTING AND FASTENING SAID CHANNEL-SHAPED STRIP ON SAID DOOR EDGE COMPRISING LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING FITTING AND FASTENING STRIPS LYING IN SAID GROOVES INSIDE OF AND HIDDEN BY SAID LEGS OF SAID CHANNEL-SHAPED SRIP SUBSTANTIALLY COVERING SAID GROOVES, SAIF FITTING AND FASTENING STRIPS ENGAGING AND ACTING BETWEEN SAID GROOVE SIDE WALLS NEARER TO SAID ASSOCIATED EDGE AND SAID FLANGES AND URGING SAID FLANGES TOWARD SAID GROOVE SIDE WALLS FARTHER FROM SAID ASSOCIATED EDGE AND TENDING TO RETAIN SAID FLANGES BETWEEN AND IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID LOCKING STRIPS AND SAID GROOVE SIDE WALLS FARTHER FROM SAID ASSOCIATED EDGE. 